are you for real, when i saw ronaldo`s grade before his last huge miss, i said to myself that grade is too high, than he commits another howler and you get his mark even higher, than i look that he has shoot aproximately as much as his 10 teammates...

Poor WS rating. CR7 was clearly energetic and played really well after initial exchanges. He had 6 shots, 3 on target, was moving quick and gets 6.5 at half time. Bale rarely touched the ball and had no efferts on goal too gets 6.5. pathetic rating!

Part 4
Prediction:
-Espanyol to play on the counter and try to score from set pieces. They will try to use the space given by Madric backs, Carvajal and Marcelo who spend most of their time forward.
-Real Madrid will dominate possession but unless they score a fast goal they might find it hard to penetrate Espanyol as they will defend tightly.
-Espanyol is always a tough place to visit and the rivalry between cities counts and therefore Espanyol might be abit more aggressive.
-Given the individual quality and the fact that players are getting to know each other even better, Real Madrid should be able to win this one.
Espanyol 0-2 vs Real Madrid 2-5

-Isco will again try to find space and may drift towards the wings trying to free himself of the markers and get the ball so that he can create chances. He has the ability to dribble in tight spaces isnt scared of shooting.
-Bale will run towards the defenders trying to dribble using his pace or cut inside and look for the cross to Ronaldo and Benzema. He too likes shooting when given space and time.
-Ronaldo will as always take lots of individual attemps dribbling past opponents and shooting as soon as he has half a yard. Always dangerous on the air and with his free kicks.
-Benzema will try to get the ball and either play it back to Isco or to Ronaldo and Bale on the wings. If he finds himself in a good position he will shoot and it should be noted that lately he is scoring more often.

Part 3
Facts about the roles of players:
-Lopez might be tested a few times and he will need to be focused since Espanyol are a dangerous team.
-Carvajal will make lots of forward runs and if he combines well with Bale he can be dangerous with his low crosses.
-Marcelo has the skill to combine well with Ronaldo and either cross the ball or make individual run inside the box, run the the front post and then cut the ball to the penalty.
-Pepe and Ramos will have to be on their toes as Espanyol will be looking to counter attack and it will be up to them as always to predict and cut dangerous passes and long balls.
-Alonso as usual stays closer to Ramos and Pepe then Modric and he collects the ball or intercepts it and then distributes it either will small passes or with his accurate long balls behind the defence of the rival team.
-Modric has more offensive role as he makes more individual runs towards the opposing teams defence and is better at holding the ball.

Part 2
-Pepe and Ramos at the center of defence since Varane is still not ready and Nacho might play in the cup game vs Osasuna next week where one of the two can get rested.
-Alonso is expected to start if the problem with his ear isnt bothering him.
-Modric has played really well lately and should keep his spot in the middle of the pitch although he has played alot lately and might need some rest in the cup game vs Osasuna next week.
-Isco should start the game since Jese is left out of the squad and it is unlikely that Ancelotti will start either Di Maria or Morata ahead of him.
-Bale should keep his spot on the right, with Ancelotti aiming to give him minutes so that he can get into top form.
-Ronaldo on the left as ever present.
-Benzema up front should retain his spot aswell.

Part 1
Squad to face Espanyol
Goalkeepers:Lopez,Casillas,Jesus
Defenders:Pepe,Ramos,Nacho,Marcelo,Arbeloa,Carvajal
Midfielders:Alonso,Illara,Modric,Casemiro,Bale,Di Maria,Isco
Forwards:Ronaldo,Benzema,Morata
-Khedira out for the rest of the season
-Varane may start training with the team in 10 days
-Coentrao not match ready yet
-Jese got injured while attempting a shot in the game vs Osasuna on thursday and is left out of this game
Possible starting XI:
Lopez
Carvajal Pepe Ramos Marcelo
Alonso Modric
Bale Isco Ronaldo
Benzema
Facts about players:
-Lopez will be under the posts since he plays the liga games
-Carvajal should start ahead of Arbeloa since Arbeloa played the cup game vs Osasuna on thursday and Ancelotti has said in previous interviews, he will rotate them.
-Marcelo on the left since Coentrao is still not ready, although he has played a few games in a row now and might need some rest soon.

WhoScored.com provides you with unparalleled football statistics, as well as detailed football previews and football rankings from competitions all over the world. Our live, in-depth football statistics from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie, Russian Premier League, Brasileirão, MLS, Super Lig and Championship supplies unique and original insights for football fans, sports betting punters, journalists, football managers and players. We also have football tables, live scores, top performing players as calculated with our unique WhoScored.com ratings, articles, graphics, rankings and much more.